Khudayar Khan Palace, Kokand

In the 18th century, the Fergana Valley became the heart of a new state, the khanate of Kokand, which at its height in the 19th century controlled the valley, Tashkent and large areas of present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Kokand, its capital, was a wealthy city of mosques, madrasahs and bazaars, a rival of Bukhara and Khiva.

Khudayar Khan ruled Kokand three times between 1845 and 1875, deposed and restored amid court intrigues, revolts and wars with Bukhara and Russia. By the time he built his palace, the Russian Empire had already taken Tashkent (1865) and much of the khanate’s territory, and Kokand had become a dependency of Russia.

The palace was built in 1871–1873, under the direction of the architect Mir Ubaydullo, by master craftsmen from across the valley. It was enormous: according to accounts, it had seven courtyards and more than a hundred rooms, including the khan’s residence, reception halls, a harem, offices, a treasury and service buildings, surrounded by gardens.

An inscription on the facade glorifies the khan. Yet he enjoyed his new palace only briefly. In 1875 a revolt drove him out; he fled to the Russians, and in 1876 Russian troops under General Skobelev took Kokand. The khanate was abolished and incorporated into the Russian Empire as the Fergana province. Khudayar Khan died in exile.

The palace stands on a high platform, reached by a long ramp that leads to the main gate, set between two slender towers. The facade, about 70 metres long, is covered with glazed tiles in blue, green, turquoise, yellow and white, with floral and geometric patterns and inscriptions. The bright palette and the use of green and yellow distinguish Kokand’s tilework from the dominant blues of Samarkand and Bukhara. The gate is framed by tiles and crowned with an inscription.

Today two of the original courtyards survive, with around 20–30 rooms. They house the Kokand museum of local history, with displays on the history of the khanate, its rulers, coins, weapons, costumes, jewellery, ceramics, carved wood and musical instruments. Some of the reception rooms preserve their original decoration: painted and carved wooden ceilings, carved alabaster (ganch) on the walls, and colourful niches. The throne room, with its painted ceiling, is particularly fine.

Labelling is mostly in Uzbek and Russian; a guide is helpful.

The capture of Kokand in 1876 completed Russia’s conquest of the main states of Central Asia: Tashkent had fallen in 1865, Samarkand in 1868, Khiva became a protectorate in 1873 and Bukhara was already a dependency. The palace was used by the Russian authorities as a garrison and offices, which helped it survive. Its museum tells this story from a local perspective.

Location: in the centre of Kokand, in a park.

Tickets: an entrance fee; photography inside may cost extra.

Opening hours: usually closed one day a week; check locally.

Time needed: about an hour.

Tips: photograph the facade in the morning, when the sun lights the tiles. The park in front is pleasant for a rest. Combine with the Juma mosque, the Dakhma-i-Shakhon necropolis of the khans and the Narbutabey madrasah for a full day in Kokand. See our Fergana Valley itinerary.

Kokand is a pleasant, green provincial city, about 4 hours from Tashkent by road or train. Few foreign visitors stay long, but its monuments, its famous Kokand halva and its friendly bazaars make it a rewarding stop on a tour of the Fergana Valley, combined with the silk of Margilan and the ceramics of Rishtan.